(8 Fixes) Discord Update Failed Infinite Retrying loop

Despite having a good internet connection, discord can get stuck on an infinite loading screen, which ends up in a Discord Update Failed screen. When this issue occurs, it means discord is unable to write a new update to the directory. This mainly happens due to the interference of the built-in Windows firewall or corrupted discord update file.

Windows Firewall monitors the outgoing and incoming data that comes through the network. When an application needs to update, it first needs to send a request to the server. In response, the server sends the data to the application. However, if the Windows firewall interferes and prevents the data that Discord needs to update itself, it will result in the Discord update failed.

1. Rename Discord Update file

The discord update file is used to update the application when required. In some cases, the Discord Update file gets corrupted, which results in an infinite Discord update loading screen. To ensure that your update file is not corrupted, you need to rename the Discord Update.exe file, which will automatically create a new Update file for discord.

Before you execute the following steps, open the Task Manager and make sure all the processes related to Discord are closed.

1. To do so, press the Windows key and type appdata in the input box.
2. Press Enter to open the AppData folder.

   

3. Navigate to the Local folder and open the Discord folder.
4. Now hold shift and right-click the Update file and select Rename.

   

5. Change it from Update to Update1.

   

6. Once done, open the app-1.0.9010 folder and run the Discord application. The numbers can change in your case as it depends on the specific discord version you have.

   

2. Disable Windows Firewall or Third party Antivirus firewall

Your Windows Firewall is responsible for monitoring outgoing and incoming data to prevent unauthorized access. It works as a getaway between the user and the server. Hence, it is possible that your Windows or third-party antivirus firewall is interfering by blocking the data required to update the discord application.

To ensure that, try disabling the Windows Firewall or third-party antivirus software with the help of the following instructions.

1. Navigate to Settings by pressing Windows + I keys simultaneously.
2. Once you are in the settings, go to Privacy & Security from the left pane.

   

3. Then, click Windows Security to open the Advanced Windows security settings. Then, click Open Windows Security.

   

4. Navigate to Firewall & Network Protection.

   

5. Click Domain network to view further settings.

   

6. Turn off Microsoft Defender Firewall.

   

7. Repeat the same process with the Private network and Public network firewalls.
8. Once done, try running the Discord application to see if the problem persists.

3. Run Discord as an administrator

The Discord Update Failed issue can be caused by improper permissions to the discord application. It is possible that the Discord application cannot apply the new update due to not having permission, which results in this issue. Hence, when you run the discord as an administrator, it will have access to write the files into the directory.

1. To do so, press the Windows key and type Discord.
2. Right-click Discord and select Run as administrator.

   

3. Once done, if the issue persists, try other easy methods.

4. Download Discord Installer and run it as an administrator

Downloading the discord installer and running it with an administrator will overwrite the existing discord application files, replacing the corrupted files and can help fix this issue.

1. To do this, go to the Discord website and download the installer from there.

   

2. Once the downloading is finished, right-click on it and select Run as administrator.

   

3. Once done, check if the issue is resolved.

5. Remove the Discord Cache

Cache files are used to enhance the User Experience (UI) of the application because they reduce the number of requests sent to the server to load the data. Cache files contain the data frequently used by the users.

For instance, when you open Discord for the first time after Windows startup, it will load all the messages, friends, and servers by requesting to its server. However, when you open it again from the system tray, it will load all the data from the cache files, such as messages, servers, etc.

Therefore, if the cache files are corrupted, it will result in a Discord Update Failed issue. To fix this, try removing the cache files by following the instructions.

1. Press the Windows and R keys together to open the Run Program.
2. Enter Appdata in the search box and hit Enter to open the directory.

   

3. Navigate to Roaming > Discord > Cache folder.

   

4. Here select all the files by pressing Ctrl + A on the keyboard.
5. Then press the Delete key or right-click and select Delete to remove all the cache files.

   

6. Once done, run the Discord application to see if it is still loading for an update.

6. Reset Network Configurations

Misconfigured network settings are the leading cause of slow internet connections, which triggers the Discord Update Failed issue. For instance, having slow DNS settings or using a proxy server often leads users to a slow internet connection. Hence, try resetting the network settings, which will re-install the network adapters, and resettings network settings to default, such as DNS and proxy settings, along with IP settings.

To reset Network Settings:

1. Press the Windows key and type Network Reset.

   

2. Open the network reset settings, and click Reset Now. Your PC will restart with the new network settings.

   

7. Try a Clean Installation of a Discord application

The final method is to clean installation of the discord application. When it comes to clean installation, you will have to remove all the folders in the app data related to the Discord application. Once you have removed everything, you can download the Discord application again.

To clean installation of Discord, follow the steps:

1. Hold the Windows key and then press R on the keyboard. This will open up the Run Program.
2. Type appdata in the input box and click OK to navigate into appdata folder.

   

3. Go to the Local folder and delete the Discord folder.

   

4. Once done, get back to the AppData folder, then navigate to the Roaming folder.
5. Once again, delete the Discord folder.

   

6. Once done, download the Discord installer.

   

7. After downloading, run the installer.
8. Now check if Discord is updating.

8. Install Discord Public Test Beta (Workaround)

Discord PTB (Public Test Beta) stores files separately which creates a completely new directory. It can help resolve this issue. 

To install the Discord Public Test Beta:

1. Download the Discord Public Test Beta by clicking the link.
2. After that, simply run the installer and wait for it to install.
3. Once done, enjoy the Discord Public Test Beta.